Molecular Epidemiology of Laguna Negra Virus, Mato Grosso State, Brazil

Elizabeth S. Travassos da Rosa, Daniele B.A. Medeiros, Márcio R.T. Nunes, Darlene B. Simith, Armando de S. Pereira, Mauro R. Elkhoury, Elizabeth Davi Santos, Marília Lavocat, Aparecido A. Marques, Alba V.G. Via, Vânia A. Kohl, Ana C.P. Terças, Paulo D`Andrea, Cibele R. Bonvícino, Elba R. Sampaio de Lemos, and Pedro F.C. Vasconcelos

Author affiliations: Evandro Chagas Institute, Ministry of Health, Ananindeua, Brazil (E.S. Travassos da Rosa, D.B. Medeiros, M.R. Nunes, D.B. Simith, A.S. Pereira, P.F. Vasconcelos); National Foundation of Health, Brasília, Brazil (M.R. Elkhoury); Surveillance Health Secretariat, Ministry of Health, Brasília (E.D. dos Santos, M. Lavocat); Mato Grosso State Health Secretariat, Cuiabá, Brazil (A.A. Marques; A.V. Via); Universitary Center Cândido Rondon, Cuiabá (V.A. Kohl); Rural Producers Sindicate, Campo Novo do Parecis, Brazil (A.C. Terças); Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (P. D’andrea, C.R. Bonvicino); National Câncer Institute, Rio de Janeiro (C.R. Bonvicino); Pará State University, Belém, Brazil (P.F. Vasconcelos)

Abstract

We associated Laguna Negra virus with hantavirus pulmonary syndrome in Mato Grosso State, Brazil, and a previously unidentified potential host, the Calomys callidus rodent. Genetic testing revealed homologous sequencing in specimens from 20 humans and 8 mice. Further epidemiologic studies may lead to control of HPS in Mato Grosso State.

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a manifestation of an emerging zoonosis caused by New World viruses of the family Bunyaviridae, genus Hantavirus. Hantavirus is transmitted to humans by inhalation of aerosols of excreta from infected rodents of the subfamily Sigmodontinae (Rodentia, Cricetidae) (1,2). HPS was initially reported during an epidemic of severe respiratory disease that occurred in the southwestern United States in 1993 (1). HPS was subsequently identified in Brazil and other Latin American countries, which facilitated the recognition of new hantavirus species such as Laguna Negra virus (LNV), Andes virus, Choclo virus, Juquitiba virus, Araraquara virus, Castelo dos Sonhos virus, Anajatuba virus, as well as several other viruses detected in wild rodents which are not associated with HPS (3–9). Like particles of other bunyaviruses, hantavirus particles are spherical or pleomorphic and measure 80–120 nm in diameter; their genome comprises 3 RNA segments, and the small RNA fragment is used to characterize the nucleoprotein (N) gene and the hantavirus species (2).

During 1993–2009, a total of 1,246 cases of HPS were reported in Brazil; the state of Mato Grosso reported the fourth highest case count, diagnosed mainly in the municipalities of Tangará da Serra and Campo Novo do Parecis. However, the circulating hantavirus species and its host remained unknown, and identification of these factors were the main objectives of this study.